We Rang the Bell!

What a great weekend! We had our third BellRinger ride on Saturday.

By the numbers it was a great success:

• At least 1,166 Riders — over 200 more than last year
• 70 Virtual Riders
• 391 Volunteers
• 419 Student Riders
• 151 Teams
• $4.28 million raised since 2022 (and counting — money for this year’s ride will roll in through December 31)

However, the numbers only tell part of the story. The impact on our cancer research will be huge. Read more.

Lombardi Lectures & Meetings

Join these lectures in the New Research Building Auditorium (Zoom option).

Join these meetings in W302 (Zoom option).

Monday, October 28, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., virtual via Zoom

BellRinger Weekend Finishes Strong

Dr. Norman Beauchamp Jr., EVP for Health Sciences at GUMC, spoke at the Opening Ceremony for BellRinger.

BellRinger riders paused at the starting line for the singing of the national anthem.

More than a thousand riders took to the roads (in person and virtually) this past weekend for the Third Annual BellRinger. Thanks to their efforts, the total all-time funds raised by BellRinger in support of cancer research and clinical trials at Georgetown Lombardi now top $4.2 million. Thank you to all who participated as riders, volunteers and supporters!

Community Outreach and Engagement Leadership Changes

Georgetown Lombardi leadership is pleased to announce changes in our leadership structure to reflect our expanding work in the communities we serve. Chiranjeev Dash, PhD, MBBS, will now serve as Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement, and Lisa Carter-Bawa, PhD, MPH, APRN, ANP-C, FAAN, will serve as Deputy Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement. Over the last few years, both Dash and Lisa have demonstrated effective vision and leadership in this space and we anticipate that with these appointments, they'll work together to expand their reach.

These changes allow Lucile Adams-Campbell, PhD, who had served in the COE role, to double down on her role as Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research. The Cancer Prevention and Control Program will continue to be co-led by Laura Rozek, PhD, and Kenneth Tercyak, PhD. Dr. Carter-Bawa will remain actively engaged in the program through membership on the steering committee but will no longer serve as a co-leader.

Dr. Carter-Bawa

Dr. Dash

Robbins Selected to Receive Project Cure CRC Award

David Robbins, PhD, Cancer Cell Biology Program co-leader, was one of five new awardees selected to receive funding from Project Cure CRC, a fund underwritten by the nonprofit Colorectal Cancer Alliance. The award will support Robbins’ research into ways to stop colorectal cancer from spreading by targeting circulating tumor cells, the cells responsible for forming new tumors in other parts of the body.

Seeking Cancer Use Cases and Collaborators for ARPH-H Project

ICBI recently received a subaward to participate in the ARPA-H Biomedical Data Fabric (BDF) initiative, which seeks to create tools to integrate biomedical research data from multiple sources and enhance its usefulness. ICBI is part of the funded project “DNA HIVE Federated Learning Network”; ICBI Director Peter McGarvey, PhD, is the site principal investigator. This initiative seeks to develop infrastructure and tools that enable secure federated queries and analysis of cancer health records without the data leaving the institution. It will leverage omnichannel data sources to investigate disease complexity and outcomes.

ICBI is seeking research investigators to engage in cancer use cases (application examples/ scenarios) and propose research studies that can span the DNA HIVE network. Those who are interested are invited to complete this short form.

NCI Early K99/R00 Pre-applications Now Accepted

Pre-applications are now being accepted for the NCI Early K99/R00. Candidates must be within two years of their doctoral degree at grant submission and in a mentored postdoctoral position. Nominations will identify single applicants within the described four scientific areas and submit pre-application materials by November 15 for the February 15, 2025, deadline within GU-PASS as a New Limited Submission; select 2025 NCI Pathway to Independence for Early Stage Postdocs (K99/R00). Email Richard Cecil (rc398@georgetown.edu) with questions.

Fall 2024 Faculty Appointment and Promotions Workshops

• SOM Clinical and Biomedical Tracks: Wednesday, October 30, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: RSVP
• Adjunct Track: Wednesday, November 6, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: RSVP

2024 Luminary Awards in GI Cancers



Join the Ruesch Center for this year’s Luminary Awards in GI Cancer on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Westin Georgetown, Washington, D.C., from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. The Luminary Awards honors individuals who have made transformative strides in the lives of patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers. Learn more about this year’s honorees. For questions or to register, email rueschcenter@georgetown.edu.

15th Annual Ruesch Center Symposium: Innovations in GI Cancer

Registration is now open for the 15th Annual Ruesch Center Symposium: Innovations in GI Cancer, held in person this November 22 to 23 at the Westin Georgetown. The symposium provides a unique forum for discussion, networking, and debate on critical issues related to GI cancers.

Presented as part of the symposium: Thomas R. Schafer Memorial Lecture, Friday, November 22, 1:20 - 2:20 p.m., featuring Anirban Maitra, MBBS, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center presenting “Why Is Pancreatic Cancer So Hard To Treat and What Can We Do About It.”

Registration is free for Georgetown and MedStar staff and trainees with the promo code Guest2024. View the full agenda and register.

Save The Date: The 2025 MedStar Health-Georgetown University Research & Education Symposium

Each year, the MedStar Health-Georgetown University Research & Education Symposium brings together investigators, educators, executive leaders, associates and collaborative partners from across our academic health system to share research, build meaningful relationships, and advance health for our communities. Please mark your calendars to attend this celebration of research and education across our academic health system partnership on Monday, May 19, 2025, at the North Bethesda Marriott. A call for abstract submissions will be announced this fall.

This Friday: Tackle Unfinished Writing Tasks at a Free Writing Retreat

InkWell Academic Writing Retreats is offering a free writing retreat this Friday, November 1, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET. “The Power of Pause Retreat” offers participants a chance to “experience the power of retreat writing” by offering a half day (three hours) of protected writing space that gives them the chance to write in community. Visit the DEI News page to learn more and register. For more information on writing resources visit the DEI Resources page.

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Georgetown Lombardi Faculty Meeting

Join this meeting virtually via Zoom

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Center for Metabolomic Studies Seminar Series: “Metabolic Heterogeneity in Colorectal Cancer”

Presented by Caroline Johnson, PhD, associate professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health. Sponsored by the Center for Metabolomic Studies at Georgetown Lombardi. Join this seminar via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Department of Microbiology & Immunology Seminar Series: “What Makes Circles Go Round: Cis- and Trans-acting Factors Coordinating Herpesvirus Backsplicing”

Presented by Sarah Dremel, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology, immunology, and cancer biology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia. Join this seminar in Med-Dent NE301 or via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Bhussry Seminar Series: “Policy Epidemiology for Global Health Security”

Presented by Rebecca Katz, PhD MPH, Professor and Director, Center for Global Health & Science and Security, Georgetown. Sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology. Join this presentation via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Cancer Research Data Meeting

Presented by Rachael Maynard, PhD student in the Tumor Biology Program. Join this meeting in-person in W302 New Research Building with Zoom option. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Oncology Grand Rounds Lecture Series: “The Adult Thymus and Cancer Risk”

Presented by David Scadden, MD, Gerald and Darlene Jordan Professor of Medicine, Harvard University, director, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Join in-person, New Research Building Auditorium, with Zoom option. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Clinical and Translational Research Grand Rounds: “Limbic and Whole-Brain Functional Connectivity in Reward Centers of People Living with HIV and/or Substance Use Disorder”

Presented by Marjorie C. Gondré-Lewis, PhD, professor of neuroscience, Department of Anatomy, associate dean for faculty development & justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, Howard University College of Medicine. Sponsored by the Georgetown Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science (GHUCCTS) and its partner institutions. Join this presentation via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

Meetings & Events Next Week

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Bhussry Seminar Series: “Spatial Engineering of Salivary Epithelia through Biofabrication”



Presented by Daniel Harrington, PhD, associate professor, Department of Diagnostic & Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology. Join this presentation via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Clinical Research Coordinator Seminar Series

Designed for clinical research professionals and others vested in the care of research participants, this series provides opportunities for professional development and updates on Georgetown policies, procedures and operations related to clinical research. Register for the Zoom seminar series. (Add to Google Calendar)

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Spatial Biology at Georgetown with Bruker Spatial Biology (formerly NanoString) in Cooperation with the Biotechnology Program

The Georgetown Bruker Spatial Biology support team highlights the GeoMx and CosMx platforms offered through the HTSR and GESR Shared Resources. Join this presentation in the Basic Science Building, GA2/4. (Add to Google Calendar)

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Cancer Research Data Meeting

Presented by Amir Bagheri, PhD student in the Tumor Biology Program. Join this meeting in-person in W302 New Research Building with Zoom option. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Oncology Grand Rounds Series

Presented by Daniela Quail, PhD, assistant professor, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University. Join this Grand Rounds in the New Research Building Auditorium or via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

Publications

Effects of Personal Cancer History and Genomic Risk Information on Mothers’ Psychological Adaptation to Inherited Breast/Ovarian Cancer Syndrome

Multiomic Characterization and Molecular Profiling of Nuclear Protein in Testis Carcinoma

In the News

Everyday Health Young Adults With Colon Cancer May Be Hit by More Aggressive Disease

Patch BellRinger Bike Ride for Cancer Research at Georgetown

Cancer Network Zolbetuximab Has Benefit in Targeting CLDN18.2 in Gastrointestinal Cancers



Cancer Network Zolbetuximab/Chemo Displays PFS, OS Benefits in Gastric Cancer Trials

FINAL WEEK: Request for Applications — American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant Pilot Project Grants

Up to three American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant (IRG) Pilot Project Grants will be funded to help launch promising new projects by early career faculty members. These are one-year, non-renewable $30,000 research grants that are funded through Georgetown Lombardi’s IRG, which is sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Open to early career faculty (e.g. assistant professor or equivalent), who are eligible to apply for independent national competitive research grants (e.g. NIH R-level grants, ACS Research Scholar Grants, and similar), but who do not currently hold and have not previously held such a grant, with the exception of an R00, which is allowed. View application package with full eligibility criteria, application form, and mentoring requirements. Application deadline: Monday, November 4, at 11:59 p.m. For scientific or eligibility questions, contact Dr. Rebecca Riggins (PI of the ACS IRG), rbr7@georgetown.edu. For application download or upload questions, contact Denise Harley, flessatd@georgetown.edu, or Karen Howenstein, khowenst@georgetown.edu. 

Melanoma Research Alliance RFP for Multiple Awards

The Melanoma Research Alliance has issued a request for proposals for preclinical, translational and early clinical research with the potential to produce unusually high impact, near-term advancements in melanoma prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment.

This cycle, proposals will be accepted for Established Investigator Awards, Academic-Industry Partnership Award (for Established Investigator Awards), Young Investigator Awards, Pilot Awards, Dermatology Career Development Awards and Special Opportunity Team Science Awards, Academic-Industry Partnership Award (for Special Opportunity Team Science Awards). View full descriptions of each award opportunity offered, including all Special Opportunities, as well as eligibility criteria and instructions.

Key deadlines:

• November 4: Proposals for Established Investigator, Young Investigator, Pilot and Dermatology Career Development awards due
• January 6: Invited Special Opportunity Team Science Award full proposals due
• April 2025: Awardees notified of funding decisions

St. Baldrick’s Foundation Spring Grant Cycle

The following programs/categories are available in the Spring Cycle:

• St. Baldrick's Scholar (Career Development) Award: Intended to help develop the independent research of highly qualified individuals early in their careers.
• St. Baldrick's Research Grant Awards: For specific two-year research projects that are hypothesis driven and may be either laboratory, clinical, or epidemiological.

One LOI/application can be submitted per award per institution, with an exception for the following areas: brain tumors – all types, including rare forms; Burkitt lymphoma (all types, especially sporadic); Ewing sarcoma; rhabdoid tumors – extrarenal. Those interested should send the title of their project and a one-paragraph synopsis to Sharon Levy via email (sgl5@georgetown.edu) by Sunday, Dec. 1.

Federal Grants Digest: Colleges & Universities Edition



A weekly curated digest of federal funding opportunities of interest to colleges and universities to support programming, research, infrastructure and other efforts, provided by Thorn Run Partners. View current issue (for October 23, 2024).

8:00 AM | Division Weekly Update Meeting | Podium A / Microsoft Teams

8:30 AM | Monday Morning Oncology Report | Inpatient Oncology Fellow | Podium A / Microsoft Teams

9:00 AM | Breast Research Meeting | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 528 212 194)

11:00 AM | GU/Melanoma Research Meeting | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 796 253 566)

4:00 PM | GU Tumor Board (on 1st/3rd Mondays of the month) | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 869 742 463)

9:00 AM | Hematology Path Conference - Inpatient Heme fellows + Outpatient Heme + BMT fellow | Podium A / Microsoft Teams (CME code: 80737; phone: 202-796-7323)

4:00 PM | Liver Tumor Board | Microsoft Teams

5:00 PM | Breast Tumor Board | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 932 1012 3816; CME Code: 87253)

8:00 AM | Thoracic Tumor Board | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 993 7680 5192; Passcode: 4231; CME 86693)

12:00 PM | Melanoma Tumor Board | Podium A / Microsoft Teams (CME: 80988)

5:00 PM | GI Tumor Board | Podium A / Microsoft Teams

9:00 AM | Cancer Research Data Meeting | Rachael Maynard | W302 New Research Building or Zoom

9:30 AM | Head and Neck Tumor Board | Microsoft Teams

12:30 PM | GI Research Meeting | WebEx (dial 844-302-0362, Meeting Number (access code): 712527865, HOST PIN: 5514)

5:00 PM | Lymphoma Tumor Board - every other week | Microsoft Teams

5:00 PM | Myeloma Tumor Board - every other week | Microsoft Teams

7:00 AM | CNS Tumor Board | Microsoft Teams (Meeting ID: 298 285 483 265, Passcode: rJWpmU)

12:00 PM | Oncology Grand Rounds | David Scadden, MD: “The Adult Thymus and Cancer Risk” | New Research Building Auditorium / Zoom

12:00 PM | TBA | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)

1:00 PM | TBA | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)

1:00 PM | Pancreas Tumor Board | Microsoft Teams (Meeting ID: 299 996 740 910, Passcode: z7j7Rc)

2:00 PM | TBA | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)